Laser trackers are used extensively in weapon control systems for tracking a target accurately. Before a target is satisfactorily acquired, the main beam of a laser tracker must be substantially coincident with the optical center of the target.
In the past, a number of prior art approaches have been employed for ensuring such an occurrence. In one known approach, a laser source undergoes a conical scanning motion in the vicinity of a target and an optical range finder determines when the scan is centered about the optical center of a target. However, in order to accomplish this, a precision planetary gearing system must be connected to the laser source which introduces a considerable cost factor as well as reliability concerns. Utmost precision is required due to the extremely narrow pencil beam generated by laser sources.